Chapter 14

The agent who took the car came in, along with the other six that had accompanied us. I looked at the menu and gave it to them. They called the duty guy and asked him what he wanted. We decided on some of the hotel's monster hamburgers and chili.

The order was made and I checked to make sure the fridge was full of soda. It was, along with several bottles of wine that weren't there before. I pushed the button that controlled the panel over the bar. There were twice as many bottles now, and all of them were full. "I guess they thought I might be a heavy drinker."

The duty guy commented, "When we said we were going to rent this penthouse permanently, and rent the others for at least a month, they filled the place up. Our business is important to them, especially in the slack times. We're using all four penthouses right now to house the dignitaries that are here.

I spoke up, "I only saw the two, who else is here?"

The duty Marshal answered, "There are six others, two more from the service that are out in the field and four from the bureau. This is a big deal we're working on. So far we've arrested over a dozen involved in this thing. It looks like Poppa Nardelli was the king in this area. It's just taking a while to find all of the offices involved. The DC people have all the addresses because they have been paying the rent. We're just raiding each one and collecting whoever is in them. We are also staking them out and pulling in anyone that comes in. We just take them all and sort them out later."

We ate while checking out the new video wall. They had done a great job blending it into the décor of the penthouse. If it were rented out to a regular civilian, they would never know it was there so the services money was well spent.

Howard came into the room saying, "How are the new sergeants doing. Did everything go okay. I guess it did, I didn't hear anything."

Bobby and I both nodded.

"You two will stay here at least a week. Bobby your new place will be ready the day after tomorrow but you're detailed to be Chuck's personal duty person for a while. You don't mind do you?"

Bobby grinned and shook her head saying, "Hell no. Watching this guy is pure luxury with a place like this."

Howard cautioned, "Well don't get too complacent. You know they blew the elevator here already and I'm sure some one will try something at least once. We think the place is pretty tight but some of these guys that are coming at us are good. They are smart too so just be careful and be watchful. You've been trained for this, use that training."

He turned to me, "I have the entire training series on protection for witnesses and relocated personnel coming. I want Bobby to review it and for you to do the entire course. Use the PC here and log into our site. Bobby has the encryption key so when you finish each module, take the on-line test. The guys will tell you, each major division class you ace means an increase in your base pay. With your extra time, you should be able to build your income pretty well. You've used your time well so far, keep it up. Even if you pull a rat on us and go to the bureau, these are cross modules so you'll get top pay over there as well. Somehow I have the feeling we're going to have a hard time keeping you here. The boss fell in love with you this morning, you sure he's not queer for you?"

That got a laugh from everyone.

"Tonight, he's hosting a dinner for you and Bobby. Sarah and I have been invited as well. I'm picking up my wife for this so it's a major occasion. Wear a good suit. Oh yeah, we have replaced your suit with another similar to it. Man, that thing was expensive. You sure have expensive taste."

I grinned, "Howard, as soon as we can, I'll take you to the place where I bought the suit. I got it for twenty percent of normal retail. I didn't even use up the entire clothing allowance I got from the employment agency."

"Considering the stuff you're wearing, I'll go with you. Who turned you on to the place?"

"I'm surprised you don't know, our dear friend Ms. White. Her husband Reggie and Ms. White helped me pick out everything. When I go back to get more, I'm going to call her. The place is full of unsavory characters but it is really the place to shop for good men's stuff."

"I'll make sure all the guys know about the place. I'll even make sure that they go in not packing so it's a more pleasant trip."

"I think the place is used to having guys carrying. I'd bet over half of the people shopping there were packing. Reggie had his and when he tried his coat on the tailor didn't even flinch. When he asked me if I usually wore a shoulder holster, Reggie told him and that it would be on my left. That's why my coats don't bulge or look mis-formed."

Howard added, "I guess it would be a good place for all of us to shop. We'll have the best tailored office in the district."

"Anyway, you two kick back this afternoon. You have at least four days coming for incidents. You know the service makes you take a day off after each incident. You had three yesterday and one this morning. When you need one of these, you can take them. I'm going to set up the shrink to come here instead of you going to her. When she does her interview, be kind, she's kind of a babe in the woods. I don't think she understands the real world is a little more violent than she thinks."

Soon it was just Bobby and I. I suggested, "Let's go up on the roof and take a look at this pool they have. Since it's high, it might not be warm unless it's heated."

We went to the duty guy picked up the radio we were supposed to have in the penthouse and walked up the steps to the roof. The door had an alarm on it that said that it would alert the world if we went through it so we went back down to the duty guy. He laughed and said, "See this switch, if I turn if off there is no alarm, if I turn in on, the world as you know it comes to an end. The elevator can't go there either unless I push this one time button. Besides see these," he pointed to three monitors, "that's the roof. When you're up there if you want privacy, tell me and we'll shut them off. I can imagine that I'd rather skinny dip than use a suit."

Bobby laughed, "You've caught me too many times at home haven't you. You know that's almost the only way I swim. Chuck don't mind and he's too much a gentleman to be ornery."

"You're a better man than I would be. The only reason I'd be good is I got a wife that does not share. She would alter my genetics, real quick, if you know what I mean."

Bobby and I climbed the steps again and looked around. We sat in the chairs to check the sight lines. There were none while sitting or if we were in the pool or Jacuzzi that would allow anyone even with a very long range sniper weapon to get a shot at us. I thought it would be good to get some binoculars or telescope to look around. I thought for a second then said, "I'll be right back."

I went down the stairs to the duty guy and asked to use his rifle for a few minutes. "What for, you gonna shoot something?"

"No, not going to shoot anything. I want to use the scope. I know you have these zeroed in at four hundred yards so I want to scan the sight lines up there to see if anything is compromised."

"Good thinking." He pointed to a knob on the side of the scope. "Each click is a tenth of a klick. You know a kilometer. Go through up to a full klick. I don't think there are too many bad guys out there that are proficient over that."

As I was going back upstairs I thought, 'a thousand meters is what, a little over a thousand yards? The longest shot I heard about was estimated fourteen hundred on a perfectly calm day. I'll check to a klick, that ought to be enough.'

Bobby laughed when I showed up with the rifle, "You don't miss much. They keep that rifle kind of hidden. It probably doesn't have much value at that duty station but it is part of the equipment for any station."

I checked sight lines all around. There was the one bank building that was almost as tall as this one but even standing up around the pool you couldn't see the top of that building. Nope, the only way to see or get at us up here is a helicopter. We should be fine. I wonder if they might have a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) filed for downtown Tampa right now. If they did, the only aircraft allowed would be military on a mission or law enforcement.

Being curious, I went over to the side of the building where the Federal Building was and looked at the top of it. Wow, they had four heliports up there and even one helicopter with FBI markings. I guess if we skinny dipped, bureau guys might get a surprise. Aviators are used to seeing nude swimmers and hanky panky from the air. They see it a lot.

We sat on the roof getting some sun on our faces for a few minutes before we decided to go back downstairs. Bobby said, "Let's go across the street and check out the modules the boss wants us to look at and we both need to see the rank modules. You have to go through ours plus your temporary field rank of 'Lieutenant.'"

"Between you and me Bobby, I still follow your directions. You know the rules, I'm not proficient yet."

"You know combat though," Bobby said with a serious look on her face. "I'll follow you anytime when we're under attack. You proved yourself more than once already."

I looked up at her and said, "You know, I think we should probably take a short nap before we do any studying. We would be a lot more alert if we were to do that.""

"Oh no you don't. I know that look. You don't have napping on your mind at all except what you're thinking of would definitely make me sleepy.

I grinned, "Well it would relax us."

"Wait," Bobby admonished, "let's see what the day brings. Fooling around like that makes me too lethargic. Considering our tenuous situation, we might want to be more alert. Look what happened the last time we were almost having a good time."

We told the duty guy what we were going to do and he said, "Just tell me what you want. One of the guys will bring it over. The boss wants you two wrapped up tight today. He thinks there are people just waiting to catch us sleeping. We have some body armored look a likes for you two, going back and forth fairly often as it is."

I laughed, "Where did you find a seven foot amazon and a crip?"

"We didn't, we have a behemoth from Orlando, you know him Bobby, the ex-wrestler. He's got a wig and is wearing a skirt. The only thing he's bitching about is your shoes and that he had to shave his legs. I think the guy likes being dressed up. For you Chuck, we're using that new college kid we just put on. He had a hard time limping so Howard whacked him with a cane like yours. He's limping pretty good now and needs the cane."

Bobby and I cracked up but we both wanted to see the pair so we could raz them about the duty another time. Our duty guy said, "Next time they come up, I'll call you. They have to start from up here and come back up when they come back so if someone is watching they think they started from your penthouse. That's why we have all of the penthouses right now. The two of them stay on the floor below until this is over. They just come up here before they go and go back down after they get back. They are doing what you're going to do and what Chuck did last weekend. Watch training videos."

Bobby said, "I'll call Sarah so she can check them out as two of the modules have to be signed out by rank. Sarah can check out anything."

We went back into the penthouse and I said, "You know what, since we're not on assignment, I'm going to have a beer. I missed one yesterday that I was planning on having one just like the drink I was planning on yesterday evening."

Bobby said giving me a hug, "Give me one too but don't drink to much, you might have to be alert for what I have in mind for you later."

"Promises, promises," I said as I pulled two bottles from the fridge. "There's probably some idiot with a plan to interrupt us later anyway."

"I'll kill 'em," Bobby said pretty seriously. I think I believed her.

About ten minutes after Bobby called Sarah, a huge almost a replica of Bobby and smaller bad copy of me came in the door carrying a box of videos. We chatted a couple of minutes before the guy imitating me asked me to walk across the room in front of him so he could watch me. I walked back and forth a couple of times and he said, "Your knee doesn't bend easily and your ankle doesn't at all. I'll tape up my ankle so it won't bend and put on a tight elastic brace on the knee that won't let me bend it easily. That'll make me limp a lot more like you."

I said to the huge wrestler, "You're kind of cute but it ruins it that I know you're a guy. You're chest isn't as nice looking as Bobby's. You need more padding cutie."

I ducked as he swung at me laughing. "You better watch out, you know us wrestlers all go both ways don't cha. We like cute little guys like you."

We all got a laugh but his partner got a real red face. Hmmm, wonder if ex wrestlers and young college boys still go both ways.

They left and Bobby was holding her hand over her mouth. When she started choking I patted her on the back until she could control herself. "It's all over the office over there, Bronson, the ex wrestler does go both ways admittedly. Did you see the red face on that kid? I'll bet they are enjoying this hotel duty. They only make about four trips a day across the street and the rest of the time they have to stick to their room. Fun time in the Broke Back Hotel."

"Bad Bobby, real bad. You should be ashamed of yourself."

"Can't help it," Bobby said still laughing. "You teased the big guy and his eyes got big thinking you were coming on to him, then he teased back and his partner blushed. It is funny but don't ever say anything. People do what people do."

We spent the rest of the afternoon watching "Rank" videos. We needed to pass these within thirty days of our promotions. We watched both together but I was the only one that took the Lieutenant exam. It's cool the way the site gives you the grades back immediately. You're graded on correct answers but additionally graded on the time it takes to complete the exam. Bobby explained that if it takes you a long time then the computer assumes you were looking up each of the answers therefore even though you might have answered all the questions correctly, you might still fail. Bobby and I both received a hundred percent on the sergeant's exam and I received the same on the Lieutenant's.

When that was done, Bobby said, "Let's get cleaned up for dinner. It'll be in about an hour and a half. They might call us early for a cocktail or a visit. Go tell the duty guy and get into the shower."

I went out to the duty Marshal who was a different one and he nodded. Back in the penthouse, I went to my room, stripped and hopped into the bathroom. Bobby was standing in the shower, waiting for me. The shower was one of those big ones with two nozzles about waist high and three overhead. There was instant hot water, so we turned them on, adjusted the temperature and proceeded to wash each other's hair, and each other. Since the shower was so stimulating, Bobby ended up standing with her legs spread, bent over holding the wall, with me behind her making like I was a bronc rider balancing on one foot. Good stuff. We were both smiling by the time we cleaned off and and dried each other. I told Bobby she didn't look too lethargic.

Bobby disappeared into her room while I put myself together. I put on a nice dark suit with a colored shirt and tie combination that Ms. White had picked out. I looked pretty good, if I do say so myself. I went out to the living room to find Bobby coming from her room. I whistled. "Wow, you look gorgeous. Jesus, you look good."

She pirouetted for me asking, "You like?"